


Tides of a Distant Shore

by ForestFiresong



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M, au in which sumeragi never died and corrin stays in hoshido
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-03-04 04:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13356729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForestFiresong/pseuds/ForestFiresong
Summary: “Though the border we share with Nohr is heavily fortified or protected with buffer zones, there do exist blind spots. They can be dangerous, because they are rife with bandits or other criminals, and as such you must take care to never go there.”--Leo and Takumi are princes of two nations who have been on the brink of war with each other for ages. Entirely different in both personality and bloodline, and almost certain to face each other on the battlefield one day, they seem to be nothing less than fated enemies. But an unlikely meeting has the two of them concealing their identities from each other and meeting on a regular basis, for years at a time, even as the weight of their destinies grows heavier and heavier, and the world around them begins to take shape.





	1. No Man's Land

**Author's Note:**

> this was written for the nagamas gift exchange over on tumblr for quelynxyz! they requested a fic in which leo and takumi were childhood friends who eventually faced each other on the battlefield. (with bonus xanlow + zerokamu) as i mentioned in the tags, this is an au where sumeragi never died and corrin stayed in hoshido, which also means garon was never possessed by anankos and most of the supernatural/valla stuff doesn't exist. although for a fic like this it doesn't really matter if its there or not ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> anyways with that said, thanks for reading and i hope u enjoy!!

“Though the border we share with Nohr is heavily fortified or protected with buffer zones, there do exist blind spots. They can be dangerous, because they are rife with bandits or other criminals, and as such you must take care to never go there.”

Ryoma’s words echo over and over again in Takumi’s head-- words that have been frequently repeated over the years, and words that only help to inflame his irritation more. He’s had enough of his brother’s chastising tone, enough of him and Hinoka’s worrying and fussing over him like he wasn’t old enough to look after himself, especially when Hinoka herself had barely come of age that year. And he’s sick most of all of being shown up in practice on the daily, because no matter how much he and Hinata and Oboro spar in the castle courtyard, he just couldn’t master the katana, with his skill over the naginata being nonexistent. 

And really, he thinks, wiping angrily at the tears he’d been trying to hold back,  _ really,  _ he’ll never have a chance at being king if he can’t beat Ryoma at least once. He’s barely even able to hold his own at this point, and though this is his first time storming out of practice like this, he’s been seriously considering it for months now. 

Of course, he knows that there will be hell to pay for it later-- Ryoma will scold him for being a sore loser, and Hinoka will probably make him run laps till the sun had set and his legs are crying out for relief. Of all of his older siblings, Corrin will likely be the only one who is understanding of his predicament, but somehow the thought of his kindhearted complacency only infuriates Takumi further. Yes, he’ll certainly pay for his actions later, but right now, he just wants to be alone.

And what better place to do that than in one of the forbidden “blind spots”, right where their territory borders on Nohr’s, a no-man’s-land held only by an uneasy peace? Takumi slows his pace as he approaches the edge of the great gorge that separates the two nations, with nothing but a rickety bridge spanning it and abandoned guard stations deteriorating on either side. These stations are more like thieves’ hideouts now, and this gorge is the perfect place for illicit dealings across borders-- Takumi’s knows it’s given Ryoma plenty a headache sending patrols to deal with them.

And yet, at the moment the border is peaceful. The grass sways gently around Takumi’s feet as he makes his way to the edge of the yawning chasm, stirred by barely a breath of a breeze. He can see all the way across to the Nohrian side but it’s mostly the same over there; grassy fields dotted here and there with trees and vast, stony outcrops. Nohr is supposed to be dark and foreboding, but the sky is as blue and and the sun as bright over there as it is on his side, and despite being a hotbed for criminal activity, Takumi feels an almost overwhelming sense of serenity. 

His anger begins to subside as he approaches a tree growing close to the bridge, almost at the edge of the gorge but not quite. He figures he has a good while to stew here; his siblings may think him naive, but not stupid. They won’t suspect that he’s gone to such a forbidden place. 

_ And I’ll get more than an earful for it, _ Takumi remembers, but even that thought seems far away as the sun in the sky. He feels its warmth soaking into his bones, and with the thoughts of his shortcomings and inferiority nearly gone, he flops among the roots of a tree. 

And then finds himself staring into a pair of startle brown eyes.

It’s only through the gods’ fortune that Takumi doesn’t fall backwards into the gorge, though he does nearly jump out of his skin. With his composure only barely intact, he leaps back to his feet, grasping for a katana at his waist that he quickly realizes is no longer there, having been abandoned back at the castle, along with any other means to protect himself. 

However, further inspection of the intruder makes it apparent that he has no need for a sword. Sitting under the tree is a young boy, no older than Takumi himself, with golden hair tucked away by a headband and skin fair and unblemished, as if he’d never seen the sun. He carries no weapons; he has nothing but a blue cape drawn around his shoulders and a heavy tome in his hands. 

For a moment the two of them stand there, eyes locked, neither making the first move. The wind stirs the grass around their feets, raises the hair on their necks, and goes whistling into the chasm below. Takumi blinks fast; he parts his lips, and feels the foundation of the earth slip just a little bit beneath his feet. 

“Who… are you?"

* * *

 

“You’re twelve?” Takumi says. He draws his knees to his chest, resting his chin on top of them. “Looks like we’re the same age then.”

“Yes,” the boy replies. He keeps sneaking cautious looks at Takumi, as if he’s not sure what to make of him. “But my birthday will be soon.”

Takumi bites the inside of his cheek, trying not to be resentful at being younger. Well, it’s not like there’s that much of an age difference between them, anyways. “But you still haven’t told me how you got here, or what your name is.” 

“I suppose you’re right…” the boy gazes out across the gorge, as if he’s deciphering some message in the clouds. They’ve been sitting like that for some time, exchanging small bits of information between themselves, although the most obvious pieces are still missing. “Tell me your name, then.” 

“Hey, I asked you first!” Takumi says indignantly. “Tell me yours first.”

The boy lets out a laborious sigh, as if this is the most exasperating thing he’s had to deal with all day. “Fine. It’s Leo.”

“Just Leo?”

“That’s all you need to know.” Leo says primly. Normally this sort of behavior would have Takumi in a rage in mere minutes, but for some reason he isn’t as bothered. He just rolls his eyes and replies. 

“I’m Takumi.”

Leo raises an eyebrow. “Just Takumi?”

“Very funny,” he grumbles, but he knows that it’s far too dangerous to say anything more, lest Leo realize he’s actually one of the princes of all of Hoshido. Of course, his face alone is a giveaway, but as he hasn’t been to as many public events as Ryoma and Hinoka, he’s really only know by the upper echelons of the nobility-- which Leo clearly isn’t part of, since he merely stares at Takumi dispassionately, clearly not recognizing him at all. “Anyways, you still haven’t told me why you’re here,  _ Leo.” _

“There’s no need to emphasize my name like that,” Leo complains. “As for why I’m here, well… I’m in a bit of a predicament.”

“A predicament?” 

“I’m… not really the outdoors type,” Leo says, suddenly looking embarrassed. “I was on a walk and I got just a bit dehydrated…”

Takumi pauses. “On a walk? Around here?”

Leo averts his eyes, looking even more flustered. “I live around here!”

Takumi doesn’t know what to make of that; he certainly doesn’t want to become suspicious of this person who could quite possibly become a new friend, but Leo’s not giving him very much to put faith in--- at least, that’s what Takumi is thinking when Leo suddenly makes eye contact with him, porcelain cheeks bright red but his voice carrying a new note of determination. 

“If you must know, my brother and I got into an argument, so I was trying to come out here to prove a point to him. I’m not actually allowed out here…”

“Me neither!” Takumi exclaims, all suspicions forgotten in his excitement. “And me and my brother just got into a fight, too!”   
“Really?” Leo says, clutching his book to his chest. “Looks like we’re in the same boat, then.”

“Definitely,” Takumi says, before rising to his feet. “But you said you were dehydrated? I know a place to get water around here. Just wait!”

“You don’t have to do that,” Leo begins to say, but Takumi waves it away. 

“I won’t just leave you here. But in exchange…” Takumi feels his chest well with entirely excitement at finding someone who was such a close approximation of himself-- giant book and nerdy language and girly headband aside. “You gotta let me tell you all about my jerk of a big brother.”

A smile breaks across Leo’s face, like dawn pushing its way through the clouds. “Only if you’ll hear about mine.” 

And as Takumi fills his flask with water from a well he’d passed on his way there, he can’t help but think about how nice brown eyes were--- not light brown eyes like his, but brown eyes that were as dark as the earth beneath his feet, almost as dark as the approaching night.

* * *

Leo doesn’t know how it’s come to this. He doesn’t know how or why his routine has become so altered, and yet here he is, sneaking away from the library and over to the border, picking his way across the shaky bridge with a book tucked under his arm and wrapping his cloak tightly around his body as he comes to rest under “their” tree, waiting for the sound of footsteps in the grass.

Takumi is always easy to hear coming, because he never bothers being quiet; he makes his way in the world as if he has something to prove, as if daring someone to pick a fight with him. Before he would merely approach, throwing himself down beside Leo as if deliberately trying to startle him, but now, after nearly two years of continuous meeting, he’s taken to announcing himself, loudly, like he doesn’t care who hears. 

Leo, of course, cares quite a bit. As a Nohrian, he’s  _ definitely  _ not supposed to be on this side of the gorge; he’s not even supposed to be near the gorge at all. He’s lucky that Takumi seems to be a run-of-the-mill Hoshidan farm boy who knows nothing of Nohrian royalty; he’s even stopped being suspicious of Leo’s Nohrian clothing, a small mercy as Leo had grown tired of hiding it. 

And yet despite the danger he keeps crossing that bridge and asking Takumi when they’ll meet next, even though they don’t meet for any particular purpose; or with any specific gain. They just spend idle hours talking, or exploring the edge of the gorge, throwing rocks and sticks and other things into it occasionally (though they never see them reach the bottom). Takumi is a great deal more athletic than Leo is, so he has a hard time keeping up with him when he wants to climb trees or go swimming in a nearby stream (he won’t admit that he has no idea how to swim, either). But it all balances out when he settles down to read, since Takumi is unable to make out a single word of any of his books.  

So all in all their meetings are ultimately pointless, and have no immediate benefits, or at least none that Leo’s pragmatic mind can recognize, but despite it all he keeps coming back. There’s a tranquility to that gorge, and an endless fascination he’s cultivated with regards to his hotheaded and occasionally overdramatic Hoshidan companion. There’s something different about him, so foreign to Leo and his dull and sometimes frustrating daily life, that has Leo still idly thinking about him even long after he’s crossed the bridge back into his own kingdom. 

It’s a day much like the day that they first met that has Leo sitting under their tree, leaning into the slight breeze that brushes his cheek as he pages through a volume that had just been delivered to the palace library that day. He’s already reading on a higher level than Xander was when he was that age, which gives Leo some satisfaction, but he’s still forbidden from the highest shelves, which is frustrating above all else.

When he hears Takumi coming, it’s not with the usual  excited gait; instead, he stomps through the grass, as though trying to impart his frustration directly to the earth. He flops onto the ground all in a huff, and Leo sets his book aside, knowing that he won’t get an ounce of peace today. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Takumi says, folding his arms and knocking his head back against the tree bark. Leo lets him sit for a moment, and then picks his book up again. 

“Well, if you’ll let me finish this chapter--”

Takumi sighs audibly. 

“It’s a really interesting book--”

“It’s just no good!” Takumi finally announces, frustration ringing in his voice clear as day. “I’m just no good at anything!”

“That’s not true,” Leo says, holding his book in his lap just incase Takumi wants to start sulking again. “You’re faster than me, and you have better aim with a rock, and know how to fish and swim and lay traps… although you definitely have some attitude problems---”

“What’s  _ that  _ supposed to mean?” Takumi says with a glare, although it lacks real malice. Leo merely shrugs. 

“It means that you’re deficit in some areas, but certainly not good for nothing.”

“You just don’t understand,” Takumi sighs. “You have your books. You don’t have to worry about anything else. But I have to worry about this.” He unsheathes his sword, laying it in the dirt between them for the both of them to see.

It’s a katana, different in shape and design than the swords that Leo sees at home. But it’s still a blade, and the sun glints off of the cold line of metal, sparkling just like Xander’s sword does when he sharpens it. Leo’s trained with a sword, but he’s far more proficient in magic, so he doesn’t bother carrying it around the same way Takumi does.

“I want to be a samurai, like my father, and like my brother.” Takumi explains, tracing a finger around the hilt of the sword. “But… I can’t beat Ryoma in one sparring match. Not even one!” He holds up a finger as though Leo can’t count, before slamming his hand back onto the ground. 

“At this rate, I won’t be worth anything.”

“That’s not true,” Leo says with a frown. “You’re not going to get very far in life defining yourself by how good you are with a weapon. Have you tried using something other than a katana?” 

Takumi averts his gaze. “I’m horrible with a naginata, though…”

“There’s more than two weapons in the whole world,” Leo scoffs. “Maybe melee combat just isn’t for you. You should try using a ranged weapon… how about a shuriken?”

“Shuriken?” Takumi says. “No way, those are only for ninja! Our family has-- well, we know a few ninja. They have to go through extensive training. It’s way too late for me.”

“How about magic, then?” Leo racks his brain, trying to remember the Hoshidan systems of magic he’d read about only weeks earlier. “You can be a diviner.”

Takumi wrinkles his nose. “I’m pretty sure I don’t have the capacity for that.”

“You’re difficult, aren’t you?” Leo sighs. “Well then, what about archery? Surely you know how to shoot, and your aim is good enough. I’ve seen.”

He expects Takumi to brush it off with a similarly dismissive comment, but instead, his friend is looking down with an almost thoughtful expression. “I learned how to shoot,” he says hesitantly. “And I don’t think I was too bad at it.”

“Problem solved, then.”

“But a samurai fights on the frontlines!” Takumi says. “It’s a matter of honor!”

“You and I must have different ideas of honor,” Leo replies. “I don’t see anything wrong with fighting from a distance, as long as the number of enemies you dispose of is the same.

“And if you must know,” he adds. “I’m currently training to be a… a diviner. I won’t be fighting all up close and personal either, so would you consider me dishonorable?” 

“Of course not!” Takumi says, before peering at Leo curiously. “But wait, you know how to do magic?”

“I do,” Leo says. He presses his hand into the grass beside him, feel the life energy of the whole canyon flow between his fingers, feeling is go pulsing into his veins. Tiny saplings begin to grow between his fingers, sprouting and blooming and curling around each other. It’s no Brynhildr, but he’s getting there. “Of course, I still have a long way left to go…”

“Well, that’s pretty cool,” Takumi says, and he actually looks genuinely impressed. “So if you become a diviner and I become an archer, we could make a pretty good long distance team on the battlefield!”

“Yeah, I’d say we would.” Leo says with a smile, although it quickly fades when he considers the implications of Takumi’s statement. If they were ever to fight on battlefield, it would no doubt be against each other, and their ranged combat would only be used to hurt each other. 

But it won’t come to that, Leo thinks determinedly. After all, Xander and Camilla have been talking lately about diplomatic efforts between Hoshido and Nohr… Diplomatic efforts that may end the tensions between the two nations for good. Then they won’t have to worry about war, and Leo won’t have to think about what he’d do if he saw Takumi on the other side of a battlefield, with an arrow pointed directly at him.

_ No, it won’t come to that.  _ Sometime in the future, King Garon and King Sumeragi will come to an agreement, and the undercurrent of war will be vanquished, and all will be at peace, but for now all Leo has is this-- this gorge and this tree and this curious, difficult Hoshidan, who is currently pitching rocks at a tree as if testing his prospective aim with a bow. This is all Leo has, so he’s going to hold onto it, even if fate itself tries to intervene.

“You know,” he says, “You could even try a close counter type of fighting style. You can fight enemies both near and far.”

Takumi snorts with laughter. “What, I just shoot them point blank in the face?”

He’s joking, but it’s a legitimate fighting style Leo’s read about, and he makes a point to educate Takumi about it as they trail the edge of the gorge, treading the boundary of a no-man’s-land where it seems as though the kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido had never existed.

* * *

 

“Milord, you look tired.” Laslow lets out a tutting sound as he removes Xander’s teacup from his desk, replacing it with a fresh one from the tray in his hand.

“Huh? Oh, thank you Laslow…” Xander rubs at his eyes, as if trying to dispel both his sleepiness and aching headache but to no avail. “You didn’t have to bring me that, I’ve already dismissed you from your duties today…”

“As if I could just let you go about ruining your sleep schedule like this!” Laslow says. “You’ve already been busy with training all day, and yet you’ve been here for hours reading. I’m simply looking out for your health.”

“And I thank you for it,” Xander says, smiling wanly. “Still, it’s all necessary work for me. You know that my father doesn’t suffer fools.”

“You’re far from a fool,” Laslow says. “And this is coming from a fool himself, who is apt to know his own kind…” 

“Oh, I know you’re not a fool either.” Xander takes a sip of tea, feeling the warmth of it sooth his throat and soak into his tired bones. “You pretend to be, but you keep your cards close to your chest.” 

“You know me all too well, milord.” Laslow says. He stoops to glance at the books Xander has spread out in front of them, giving their pages a quick read-through. “Well, these are different tomes than what you were reading the other night…”

“I know.” Xander closes the front cover of the book in front of him, scoffing slightly at its title. “These are all of Father’s books on war strategies. All of my readings on diplomacy and Hoshidan culture are still on hand in the library, but I thought it was better to finish reading through these first.” 

“Is war really so near?” it comes out without Laslow intending it, and he’s almost afraid that he’s crossed a line, but Xander just shuts his eyes and lets out a long-held breath. 

“I wouldn’t like to think so, but Father tells me that the diplomacy meetings have not been going well. I just want to be prepared in case war breaks out. And if I am to be a suitable general, I must learn….”

The lit candle illuminates Xander’s face; golden strands of hair curling over his brow, and deep set lines of worry; wrinkles unfit for a prince only twenty-one. And yet Laslow knows that he will continue to work, and to stress, and worry himself over the matters of the future till his blond head is bowed and gray. 

And so this is where he comes in.

Gently, he places his hand on Xander’s shoulder, and begins to rub little circles, letting out a little hum as he goes. It’s a tune from a far-off land, and unrecognizable to Xander, and yet he leans into it, resting his head against Laslow’s chest as if he’s ready to sleep there.

“I just don’t want anything to happen…” he murmurs. 

“It won’t. And if it does, I’m sure you’ll rise to the occasion. There’s no man more capable than you in the whole land.”

“I envy your calmness, Laslow. Then again, you don’t originally hail from here, do you? That must make things easier for you.”

“I may not have been born in Nohr, but it is my home.” Laslow replies. “My home is wherever you are, milord…”

“Don’t go practicing your lines for girls on me,” Xander scolds, but he smiles despite himself. “But really…” 

“Yes?” 

“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.” Xander confesses as Laslow stops rubbing his shoulders and moves to play with his hair, carding his fingers through the golden curls. “Not you, not Peri, and certainly not any of my siblings…”

“Peri and I can handle ourselves. Peri can actually handle herself a bit too much...” Laslow says, trying not to shudder as he remembers his fellow retainer’s bloodthirsty streak. “And your siblings aren’t helpless either. You’ve seen Lady Camilla fight.”

“But Leo and Elise…”

“Leo is quite capable.” Laslow says. “Do you remember how he recently dispatched that thief and made him his retainer? And he’s still little more than a child. In battle, I’m sure he’ll do fine.”

“I suppose you’re right. I’m not sure about Elise, though…”

“It’ll be quite some time before she sees battle, milord, if you have any say in it.”

“That is true.” Xander lets out a sigh, but this time he sounds far more relaxed. “How is it that you always manage to put my mind at ease, Laslow? I feel as though my troubles are far away.”

“You could just say it’s a speciality of mine, milord.” Laslow steps away from Xander’s chair, reaching for the candle to put it out. “But that’s enough of this. You should go to sleep.” 

“If you insist.” 

As Laslow puts out all of the candles around Xander’s study, tidying as he goes, he thinks about his lord’s words. It’s true that Lady Camilla’s ruthlessness knows no bounds, and though Lord Leo has been distracted as of late, his prowess in magic is unmatched. Even little Elise will come to be a valuable asset once she’s older, and then there’s Xander: the most fearsome and capable of them all. And yet it stirs at Laslow’s heart thinking of him going into battle; he’s seen more than enough war and death for a lifetime, and he’s not sure if he can stomach any more. 

But this, much like everything else, is not for Laslow to decide. 

“Good night, milord.” 


	2. As I Walk Through the Valley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey there!! it's been a loong time since i've uploaded this fic, and for that, i deeply apologize, especially since i had it finished for a very long time now. nonetheless, whether you're just reading it now or have been waiting for this second chapter for awhile, thank you for reading!! i hope you enjoy 
> 
> (that said, just as a warning: get ready for some feels)

Takumi takes a deep breath and tries to stop the trembling in his hands and in his body. The drawstring of the bow is pulled taut against his chest, and he tries to let the air go still around him– tries to focus on the target, a tree marked bright red a little less than 20 yards away.

He lets the arrow fly.

It hits the target dead center, piercing the bark with a satisfying thunk. Takumi can’t help but smile, but he saves the celebrating for later– he still has a quiver full of arrows to shoot. He’s just about to grab the next one when a voice calls out to him.

“How’s the target practice going?”

In nearly an instant he has the arrow nocked and turned on the intruder, every muscle in his body aching to shoot. Ryoma’s trained him to always be alert, always have his wits about him; now he can have his bow ready and an arrow flying before the enemy can even lift a finger. War time has made them desperate, but between being paranoid and being alive, Takumi knows which he’d rather be.

“Hey, be careful with that!” Takumi lowers his bow as the intruder speaks again– that voice is all to familiar, and he feels like he’s waking from a dream when he sees who’s standing in front of him. Because although he may be taller, and clad in armor, and standing with a confidence completely absent from his younger days, there’s no doubt that the person mere feet away is Leo.

Takumi drops his bow to the grass immediately, letting the arrow slip out of its drawstring. “Leo! What are you doing here?” he says. And without thinking he runs forward to embrace him.

He’s leaner than Takumi remembers, but he can also feel the hardened muscle and bone– he’s not nearly as delicate as he used to be, although it’s easy to forget when the hair that brushes his cheek is just as soft as he remembers. For a moment they stand there, Leo, stiffly reciprocating the hug, before Takumi steps back, still not fully trusting what’s happening is real.

“It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?” Leo says, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. Takumi notices that he’s holding a book under his arm, just like he used to, except instead of having writing on it, it’s dark purple and inscribed with symbols that resemble the roots of the tree. “I’m not even sure how long it’s been…”

“I’m sixteen now,” Takumi offers. “Maybe around half a year?”

“That sounds about right.” Leo glances down at the ground, looking almost bashful. “I’m surprised you even still come out here.”

“It’s a good place for archery practice,” Takumi says, feeling similarly embarrassed, though he’s not sure why. It might have something to do with the fact that in the time since he and Leo had last met, he’s had to assume far more responsibilities in the palace. With war with Nohr brimming on the horizon, he’s done nothing but train and sharpen his skills, spending the rest of the time in war meetings with his parents and older siblings. The days of running around the gorge with Leo belong to his childhood, something which seems very far away now.

Still, he never stopped thinking about him. As tensions between the two nations hiked and Ryoma begin asking Takumi to spend less time idling about and more time training, he had told Leo that they might not be able to see each other as much. Leo had responded in turn, saying that his older brother had requested that he spend less time away from home, and so the two of them had parted, not knowing when, or if, their meetings would ever resume.

And yet every time Takumi practiced with the bow, he remembered the person who suggested it to him– and so he found his motivation not to fail, not to give up and be satisfied with being subpar to his siblings forever. Leo’s calm brown eyes and steady tone have followed through his days and nights, and the days they spent together in their own serene little world have transfixed him more and more as the atmosphere around the castle becomes more and more unbearable. So to see him again is like seeing dreams come alive, and he stands there filled with both gratitude and a sudden sense of shyness.

“I’m glad you kept with the bow,” Leo says suddenly. He gives Takumi a smile, restrained but filled with warmth. “It looks like you’re getting good with it.”

“It was the right path to take.” Takumi replies. “How’s your study of magic going?”

“Oh, I would say it’s been going fine.” Leo holds the book close to his chest. “I feel as though I’ve done nothing but study magic lately, to be honest.”

“That’s how I feel with training!” Takumi says, before hesitating. “Well, but with the way things are with Nohr, it’s only to be expected.”

Leo pauses, staring past Takumi to the gorge– watching, as usual, the clouds drifting aimlessly above the swathes of Nohrian forest. “It’s looking bad-- isn’t it?”

“It is.” Takumi picks up his bow and fallen arrow, returning it to the quiver. “At this point, I…”

“What?”

“It looks like we’re going to war no matter what.” The day is sort of silvery— the sun is shining, but it hides behind a wispy layer of clouds, which stretch across the sky, so pale blue it’s almost white. “And if that happens, I’ll have no choice but to fight.”

Leo looks nearly distressed. “You’re going to join the army?”

If anything, Takumi will be the one leading the army, but he’s been resolutely hiding his true origins from Leo, and that’s not about to stop now. “Yeah. It’s my duty.”

Leo doesn’t speak for some time, and they drift over to their tree– a bit stripped of leaves, but still standing. When they sit among the roots, he finally says, “I suppose I’ll have no choice but to fight too.” Takumi eyes his quizzically. “You’ll join the Hoshidan army?” Now that he thinks about it, Leo is clad in armor that is distinctly Nohrian, and the tome that he carries is a far cry from the strips of paper used by diviners to cast their magic. He’d always assumed that Leo’s family were Nohrian refugees, since that was what was implied by their conversations, and since Takumi himself was so vague about his origins, he’d always figured he didn’t have the right to grill Leo for his. But now a creeping fear overtakes him; fear that maybe Leo’s been his worst enemy the whole time.

But Leo merely stares into the distance, and all he says is, “War will find us wherever we go.”

He’s right about that, and for his part, Takumi is sick of talking of battle and death. He hasn’t seen Leo in half a year, and for all the dreaming he’s done about it, he’d rather not spend their time muddling around such unpleasant topics. So he folds his hands in his lap and changes the topic, although for some reason every time he tries to speak his stomach knots itself. “You know, I….”

“Yes?”

“Well, never mind. It’s just that…”

“Takumi, please. We’re wasting daylight here.”

“You don’t have to put it like that!” Takumi grumbles, before clenching his hands even tighter together. “Fine! I just wanted to say that, well, I’ve missed you.”

Leo looks shocked, for a split second, before he drops his gaze, cheeks the slightest shade of rose. “I’ve missed you too.”

For a few minutes they sit there, wind singing a song through the leaves on the tree, and Takumi thinks he’s going to die of embarrassment, but– well, it’s nice. It’s nice to be back. He turns the thought over and over again in his head before Leo finally speaks again.

“I kept wondering when we would be able to meet again. I came up here sometimes, but you were never here– I thought of leaving a message or something–”

“That would’ve been a good idea,” Takumi says. “Although you never know who would see it…”

“It wouldn’t be anything confidential,” Leo sniffs. “Anyway, I’m glad I didn’t have to do it. I’m glad we can see each other now.”

“I’m glad too,” Takumi says, although he’s starting to think that the time apart was actually a bad thing, because he can’t stop noticing little things– like the shape of Leo’s lips, the glint of lighter brown in the dark of his eyes, or the way his slender fingers keep tracing the spine of his book. His country is on the brink of war and his family is expecting him to lead thousands of soldiers and yet his attention is here, all here, and he’s powerless to tear himself away. “Even though so much has changed…”

“Yes, half a year can make quite a difference.” Leo sighs, but his eyes are bright. “But I’m glad….I’m glad that nothing’s really changed between us. I was worried…I wanted us to still be friends.”

Takumi feels a slight jolt, a little tug in his stomach– this is the first time Leo has ever called them friends. But while it would’ve made him happy a year ago, his brain is turning itself over, going into overdrive– and he can’t stop himself from saying, “Friends?”

Leo eyes widen, and he looks almost crestfallen. “Yes, I had assumed we were…I hope I wasn’t wrong about that.”

“No, no, we are. But, um…” Takumi says, but he’s leaning forward, unable to stop himself, and then he and Leo are nose to nose and he’s completely and totally lost. “I’ve been thinking…”

“Yes?” Leo says, and Takumi realizes that he’s not freaking out or pulling away, he’s just sitting there, eyelashes fluttering, so close that Takumi can almost feel it. But he doesn’t know what to say, because he doesn’t even know what he’s been thinking about– thoughts inappropriate for a burgeoning soldier, and the future prince of his nation.

“I’m sorry,” he suddenly says, leaping to his feet and grabbing his quiver. He’s made the whole encounter awkward, and now he can do nothing but run– even if it means never seeing Leo again. But he’s barely made it a step away from the tree before Leo grabs him, and kisses him.

It’s a quick peck, barely more than a brushing of lips, but Takumi feels his whole body go up in flames, feels his feet become rooted for the ground. The setting sun is the backdrop for their very first kiss, and Leo’s hair is tinted a shade of orange as he pulls away and retrieves his book from the ground. “Takumi,” he says, almost breathlessly. “I have to go. My brother wants me home before sunset.”

“Y-yes.”

“I don’t know when we can meet again, but…” their eyes lock, and a moment passes between them, and is gone. “If war does break out before then, don’t get hurt. Don’t do anything reckless.”

“Yes.”

“Then…” Leo averts his eyes, looking just embarrassed as Takumi feels. “I must take my leave. It was good to see you again.” He begins to walk off, heading towards the bridge but making a sharp turn into a clump of trees. Takumi watches him go, feeling like he should say something, anything, but nothing comes to mind, at least not until Leo’s almost disappeared, at which point Takumi yells after him, “Come back here soon! I’ll be waiting!”

Leo doesn’t turn, doesn’t even stop his pace, but Takumi has a feeling that he heard. And though he should also be starting for home, though Ryoma will undoubtedly get on his case for it, Takumi continues to stand there, watching the sunset, praying that the war will hold off until they can meet again.

* * *

 

It doesn’t.

It’s only months later that Leo finds himself on horseback, sitting under the pouring rain and giving out orders to his army as they march onwards into Hoshidan territory.

Even all those months ago, when he and Takumi had finally met again, Leo had known that war was imminent. The peace talks weren’t working; the Nohrians and Hoshidans just couldn’t see eye to eye. The Nohrian townspeople and peasants were baying for blood, and with bountiful Hoshido possessing all of the resources they lacked, King Garon had seen it fit to march on their neighboring country and welcome war with open arms.

However, when it came down to it, their father merely sat back and allowed his children to lead his armies for him. Xander was the front line, with Camilla and her retainers not too far behind; only Elise didn’t have an army to command, but she and Arthur and Effie led their own squadron at a safe distance.

As for Leo, he traveled on Xander’s flank, though they had pressed so far into Hoshidan territory and spread themselves so thin that he had not seen his older brother for some days. However, it was of no concern to him; he’d been studying magic and tactics and the works of the war generals of old; he was more than prepared for this moment. And though he was older than the majority of his soldiers, though he was not physically as imposing as his older siblings, they all obeyed him without question, and marched without missing a beat under his command.

For the past couple days, they had been marching through the Hoshidan countryside, conquering villages as they went and sending messengers back and forth between their unit and Xander’s. Leo has been trying to keep the atrocities to the minimum, only taking what resources they need from the villagers and intimidating but not brutalizing the innocents. He’s sure his father would see it as weakness, but Leo doesn’t care; he’ll lead his army as he pleases, and his morals don’t include the slaughter of helpless civilians.

At the same time, he’s worried, not just for the wellbeing of his soldiers and his family, but also for one certain person. In particular, he’s worried that he’ll run into Takumi on the battlefield. He won’t engage in combat against civilians, but soldiers are fair game; and sparing an enemy soldier would just be a sign of weakness, something he can’t permit.

As well as that, he’s not sure Takumi ever figured out that he was a prince of Nohr, or even from Nohr at all. Xander and Camilla are well-known for their prowess on the battlefield, but this is his first time in combat, so it’s unlikely that any Hoshidans will know who he is. He doesn’t want the truth to come out when he and Takumi are trying to kill each other, but if they do happen to meet, there will be no way to hide it. Of course, that’s not what Leo is most scared of. No, his greatest fear is that Takumi will be killed, on some far-off battlefield, by some far-off Nohrian, and he’ll never know it. He’ll keep waiting by the gorge, long after the war is over, waiting and waiting for someone who will never come. To think that their last encounter will be their first kiss leaves his heart aching, and he prays to the gods to keep Takumi safe, knowing that he’s a pathetic general for it.

“Milord.” Niles’s voice shocks Leo out of his reverie, and he is suddenly ten times more aware of the freezing rain and throbbing pain in his muscles. “I’ve received word that a Hoshidan army is approaching from the east.”

“Really?” Leo says, gripping Brynhildr even tighter. “This will be the first we’ve encountered. How many men?”

“It seems to be a smaller group,” Niles says, rain running down his face and sticking his hair to his face. “At least, it’s not the bulk of their army.”

“Then we should have no problem dispatching of them.” Leo swallows, trying to dispel the queasiness in his stomach. There’s no time for that anyways. “Oh, and Niles?”

“Yes, milord?” “You must remember from when I sent you on a spying mission in Hoshido. How close are we to the palace?”

For some reason, Niles won’t meet his eyes, merely staring off into the distance, though there’s nothing but mud and rain as far as the eye can see. “We’re still a ways off from the main city. Although I have a feeling Lord Xander is getting close.”

“Good. We’re right on track then.” Leo shakes the water from his hair, although he knows that he’s only going to get soaked again. “Well, tell everyone to prepare for combat.”

“Yes, milord.” Niles says, and then he’s off, moving among the ranks, as lithe and quick as a cat stalking in and out of the shadows– a harkening back to his days as petty thief. Leo lets out a sigh, and faces the horizon, trying to prepare himself for what’s ahead.

It’s only moments later that he sees them– a group of Hoshidan archers, headed by a blue haired girl wielding a lance and her samurai companion. Within minutes they’re engulfed in battle, with the Nohrian mages combating the archers are the melee fighters go head to head in the mud.

Leo, however, does not join in– at least not at first. He’s searching for the leader, the one who’s actually in charge; because while the spear-wielding girl and the samurai certainly command a presence on the battlefield, he can tell that they’re not the ones giving orders here. As he scans the battlefield, looking for the general, Odin appears beside him, streaked in mud and looking more than battered.

“Milord,” he gasps out, holding his tome at his side. “I’ve just received word that this isn’t just any squad of Hoshidan soldiers. Their leader— he’s the third crown prince of Hoshido.”

“The crown prince?” Leo says, but the words have barely fallen from his lips before he spots him– a hundred yards away, with flowing silver hair and a sparking, glowing blue bow.

“Takumi?”

Leo is shocked, unable to move or think, because he’s found his leader. But it’s not just any general; all the way across the battlefield is Takumi, his childhood friend and apparently the second crown prince of Hoshido.

“Milord, watch out!” Odin says, moments before he fries an arrow midair with lightning magic. He looks up at Leo indignantly. “That was really close, the armies of darkness almost had you! Please be more careful, Lord Leo!”

“Yes, yes,” Leo says, barely able to get out the words because he’s still trying to wrap his head around the situation. This whole time, the person he had thought was a simple farmboy was actually a prince…a prince of the nation Leo has sworn to destroy. But it makes sense, when Leo thinks about it; there are three princes of Hoshido, and Takumi has two other brothers. Their ages align perfectly, and of course there’s no mistaking him now, dressed in regal attire and his long hair tied back with a ribbon of Hoshidan red.

They’re enemies, on a scale Leo never imagined. They’re enemies, and only one of them can survive this ordeal alive.

And then, as Leo is searching his mind for any kind of solution, their eyes meet. Through the distance, through the pouring rain and general din of the battlefield, Leo and Takumi lock eyes, and Leo can see the full range of human emotions flashing through his light brown pupils– the hurt, the betrayal, and then, to his utter grief, a spark of pure rage. If he had fired an arrow into Leo’s heart he probably wouldn’t even have moved out of the way, but to his surprise he turns tail and disappears into the forest.

“Milord,” Niles says, suddenly appearing at his side again. “It seems the Hoshidans are retreating. What do you suggest we do?”

Leo’s thinking, making plans, weighing the pros and cons of each situation– but it doesn’t matter, he needs to talk to Takumi, duty and reason and honor be damned. Trying to rationalize the situation, he quickly turns to Niles. “Keep pressing forward. I’m going to leave the troops in you and Odin’s hands. There’s something I need to investigate.”

“But Lord Leo–”

“I’ll be back momentarily.” Leo dismounts from his horse and begins to run, Brynhildr tucked under his arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle myself!”

And then before Niles or Odin can stop him, he’s dashing into the trees and out of sight.

Because it may just be a hunch, it may just be a guess formed on assumptions made about a person he barely knows— but Leo has a feeling Takumi is waiting for him in that forest. They’d promised to wait for each other, after all; this may not be their tree, or their gorge, but he knows that Takumi is not one to break his promises.

He enters the tree cover, panting and soaked to the bone, and scans the trees for a sparkle of blue, for a splash of red– until he hears a whistling sound and feels an arrow cut right by his ear, nearly cutting his cheek and hitting the tree beside him, scorching the bark and splitting it in two.

He knows it’s Takumi before he even looks up; he has his tome open and ready by the time to the two of them meet eyes. Takumi is trembling, either from rage or fury, and is just as beautiful as Leo remembers him, with the same fire glittering in his eyes that he remembers.

It’s just that now the fire is directed at him.

In his hands is the same glowing blue bow, magic energy pulsing up and down the drawstring. It’s different than the bow he had been practicing with before, and looks to be a special weapon; he must’ve received in when the war broke out, or shortly before.

Takumi is the first to speak, although he only utters one word. “Leo.”

“Yes.”

“Is it true what they say?” his teeth are clenched, and arrow is nocked in his bow, aiming directly at Leo’s heart. “Are you really the second prince of Nohr?”

“I am.” There’s no point in lying, and Leo doesn’t even consider it. “Are you really the third prince of Hoshido?”

“I am.” Takumi says. He’s burning with heat, face flushed and bow shimmering, while Leo can only find himself growing colder and colder. “So this whole time you were lying to me?”

“You never asked.”

“I never asked?” Takumi repeats incredulously. “I never thought it would come to this!”

“Neither did I,” Leo says calmly, although he can feel his insides freezing and then melting, his whole body screaming to run away. “I thought you were just a Hoshidan farmboy.”

“Leo… you…” Takumi’s head is bowed, and Leo thinks he sees tears sparkling in his eyes. He wants to wipe them away, but it’s far too late for that. “Why did this have to happen?”

It’s not a scream to him, but rather to fate, so Leo lets it echo into the forest and fade away. When all is silent but the rain, he speaks. “I’m glad to see you’re alive. I was worried.”

Takumi fixes him with a scathing gaze. “Are you crazy?”

“No, I’m not.” Leo says, and then suddenly he’s overcome with emotion, words bubbling out of him uncontrollably. “Or maybe I am, but I don’t care. I never stopped thinking about you, ever since that day, and if you think something like this can change that… I may be a disgrace to the whole Nohrian army, but dammit, Takumi–!”

Takumi wipes furiously at his eyes before raising his bow again. “You should regret it. You should regret ever telling me to use a bow.”

“I don’t,” Leo says, and he thinks that he could die right there and not even lift a finger.

For a moment the silence between them persists, as weighted as the storm clouds above and accented only by the falling rain. Leo has his tome open but he’s not sure he can use it– he doesn’t like killing on principle, let alone killing someone important to him like Takumi. Because he is important to Leo, despite everything– because he can’t just shake memories that were so important to him, or alter his worldview around a war he doesn’t believe in.

Takumi finally meets his gaze, and Leo thinks he’s truly going to kill him– but then he lowers his bow, and bites his lips so hard Leo’s surprised he doesn’t draw blood.

“I can’t do it.”

“I couldn’t either.” Leo says. He’s still sick to his stomach, but he feels an ounce of sweet relief– because nothing between them has changed, even though everything has. Because they’re ok, at least for now, at least for a moment.

And then Hoshidan soldiers leap from the bushes.

“Good job, Lord Takumi!” says the blue-haired girl from earlier, holding her naginata protectively in front of her. “While Hinata and I were finishing off the rest of the Nohrians, you managed to distract their general! That’s impressive!”

“Nothing less from Takumi, right?” says the dark-haired samurai, emerging from the bushes alongside the girl. “Now let’s get going!”

“Yes, someone bind him so we can take him prisoner–” Takumi begins, but the girl shakes her head.

“Milord, Ryoma told us that we can’t afford to take prisoners, remember? You’d best finish him off here.” Takumi’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head. “No, that can’t be…”

“Lord Takumi…” says another Hoshidan soldier, appearing from behind a tree. “Lord Ryoma has sent a messenger. We’ve made great strides against the Nohrian army, and he requires your assistance. Leaving a Nohrian general like this is extremely dangerous.”

Takumi’s eyes go between Leo and his comrades; and Leo knows he should be running, or making a diversion, or at least attempting to take down Takumi with him, but he does none of that. He’s frozen, wishing things were a dream, knowing that he has no chance.

But still, he can’t feel any regret.

When Takumi points his bow at him, something passes between the two of them. It’s an understanding– an acknowledgement of the unending cruelty of fate. Things could’ve been different between them, but the gods had to intervene. Leo closes his eyes and says his goodbyes– and his apologies– quietly.

He wishes he could see Xander, and Camilla, and Elise, and Odin and Niles and all those dear to him– but he’s glad, at least, that he got to see Takumi again. He was afraid that he would die before that got to happen, or that Takumi wouldn’t recognize him if he did.

It’s not a good way to go. But it could be far worse.

When the arrow pierces his heart, Leo is sitting under their tree, a stack of books at one side and Takumi at the other. They’re sitting– not talking, or playing, just sitting and watching the sky. In another universe, things could’ve been different. In another universe, they could’ve been happy.

But for now, Leo is just glad that he has this.


End file.
